It is often desirable or necessary to remove a boat stored at a dock from the water. For example, during a storm, the boat may be damaged as a result of being banged against the dock by wind, waves or surges. Boats that are stored in the water may experience increased maintenance costs due to the need for more frequent painting, floating objects striking the hull and/or growth of crustaceans on the hull that must be removed.
In view of the foregoing, many boat owners need or desire to store their boats out of the water. In response to this demand, boat yards are available that will store a boat on land in a cradle or in a warehouse and, upon demand, will retrieve and place the boat in the water using a crane, forklift or the like. However, this alternative may be expensive and/or inconvenient.